Junjo Savior
by Sapphire-Sora
Summary: An accident has Nowaki lost and Hiro alone in the world. A police officer, suffering the loss of his soul mate, steps in and saves Hiro from self destruction. With a new relationship forged a case of mistaken identity threatens the bonds of Egoist!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

"_Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter._

_Who would think that those branches would turn_

_green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it."_

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe~

* * *

><p>"I'll give you a ride home if you want."<p>

Nowaki glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 6am; he had been at the hospital for eleven hours. By all means this was a short shift, but Nowaki was exhausted all the same. Outside snow fell in sheets and the roads were glazed in ice. The mere thought of the cold sent a shiver up Nowaki's spine.

"Thank you."

Nowaki answered solemnly. It had been a long, dull night and he was anxious to get off from work and be home where it was warm. Hiro-san wouldn't be home at this hour, so Nowaki planned on making himself a how cup of tea and something warm to eat, then settling down into the bed they shared and sleeping until his mate returned home. It would be well worth the wait, and the rest was needed. Nowaki yawned and drew his cellular phone out from his pocket and quickly punched in a message:

'_Co-worker going to give me a ride home. It's cold! I'll be asleep when you get home, so let yourself in. love you'_

_~Nowaki_

Class was about to start and Hiro was a little upset. Nowaki knew not to text him during school hours. He picked up his phone quick and turned so that his students couldn't see him contradicting his own rules. The message was simple and pointless. Hiro knew it was cold outside and couldn't care less how Nowaki got home so long as he did it. It wasn't the kind of day that Hiro really cared about the finder details of life. There was snow on the ground and a blizzard on its way; Hiro wanted to get work done and over with. He hastily typed in his response in his cell phone and rushed to being class.

'_Be safe'_

_~Hiro_

Nowaki smiled and pocked his cell phone and followed his co-worker to their car. The quick answer and few words meant that Hiro-san was working hard and about to start class. Hiro-san was a very punctual teacher and was probably annoyed with Nowaki's message, but Nowaki never felt right without telling his lover where he was at all times.

"The snow is really coming down. At this rate, the trains might have to shut down."

Nowaki's co-worker said. He started the car and cranked up the heat. Nowaki shivered and rubbed his ungloved hands together.

"Yea. I hope we don't have too many emergencies at the hospital. It's my weekend off."

Nowaki smiled to himself. A weekend off meant two days snowed in with Hiro-san by his side. Hiro-san hated the cold and often became a little more needy than usual because of it.

"If it were my weekend I'd turn my cell phone off and pretend the battery is dead."

Nowaki's co-worker chuckled. Everyone at the hospital knew that Dr. Kazuma Nowaki was the most reliable resident on the pediatric ward. He always came when he was called no matter the day or time. People speculated that Kasuma-san was a single man living alone and that he had no family in the area. They didn't try to exploit his availability, but they did know that he was reliable.

"You're right. I think I'll actually take the weekend off this time. I need the rest."

Nowaki relaxed into the seat as the car swung from the hospital parking lot onto the icy cold road.

* * *

><p>Hiro glanced out the window of the classroom. His concentration wasn't where it was supposed to be today and he found that he was irritated; something nagging him in the back of his mind. His hand fluttered occasionally towards the pocket that held his cell phone. He resisted pulling it out and texting Nowaki. He didn't know why he felt that there was something that he had forgotten to say or mention to Nowaki that now seemed extremely important. Hiro hated forgetting and was easily angered when he wasn't on task.<p>

"Excuse me, sensei?"

Hiro snapped his neck back towards his class and scowled at the students. Usually he was angry because they were not paying attention; today it was all him.

"What!"

He yelled and despite of himself he picked up a paperback book and tossed it in the direction of his students. Demon Kamijo the students called him, for good reason too. His teaching skill was impeccable and his temper was notorious.

"Sir, the dean said that if the snow got too bad, class could be let out early."

One brave student stood up. Hiro glared over his glasses at the fool. The student winced and braced himself for a flying text book. Hiro frowned. His mind was too occupied and his hand was too fidgety; for once in Hiro's career he didn't feel like teaching. His mind was yelling for him to pick up his phone and dial Nowaki's phone number. He glanced back at the window. The snow was now falling in a white haze, blocking the morning sun in the sky. It was making Hiro uneasy the way the snow fell. He let his hand wander to his pocket and grip his phone.

"Leave then"

Hiro said plainly, not giving his students any more regard. Before he knew it, Hiro was alone in the classroom. He gripped his cell phone and pulled it out. He had been trying so hard to remember what he had to tell Nowaki. What was so important that he had to cancel class to relay the message so urgently? Hiro combed his mind as his hands absently swept over the keypad of his phone. Before he was aware of what he wrote, his index finger flew to the send button. He caught a glimpse of what he wrote and smiled. Maybe that was it. Satisfied Hiro pocketed his phone and gathered his materials. He would go home early today where Nowaki was waiting to warm his soul and ease his mind. The snow wasn't so bothersome when he had love to look forward to.

* * *

><p>Nowaki laughed at his co-worker's joke as they drove through the streets. The snow had begun to fall harder, and yet the vehicle ceased to slow down. Nowaki was so caught up in conversation that he ignored the buzz of his cell phone after it initially rang ten minutes ago. The two men's laughing slowly subsided. And Nowaki pulled out his phone.<p>

"Girlfriend got you on your toes?"

Nowaki's co-worker asked jokingly. Nowaki didn't answer; it was odd that Hiro texted in the middle of class time. He flipped up his phone and pushed the "read message button"

_ "Nowaki: I forgot to tell you this morning. I love you"_

_~Hiro_

Nowaki's heart warned. He replied earnestly with:

_ "You don't have to say it Hiro. I know. I love you too"_

_~Nowaki._

Nowaki hit send and smiled warmly to himself. A car horn blared somewhere nearby. The high pitched sound of squealing tires filled the air. Nowaki saw the flash of car lights speed towards him. He only had time to breath out one word.

"Hiro-san!"

* * *

><p>Hiro pulled his blanket over his head and sighed. The clock read 12:30pm. He had been home since 9:00am and there was still no sign of Nowaki. Maybe the hospital had detained him for another shift, or he went out drinking. Whatever it was, Nowaki could have at least had the decent to text him. The last text he had received read:<p>

_"You don't have to say it Hiro. I know. I love you too"_

_~Nowaki._

But that message was received at 6:45am. Hiro had tried for a while to message Nowaki, but he kept getting a "no signal" message in return. Hiro was a little more than irritated and cold. He wrapped himself in a blanket and turned on the television.

"The town is paralyzed in 11 inches of snow this afternoon. Thousands are stranded at train stations and the streets are frozen due to heavy rain fall from last night that has frozen with the drop in temperature."

Hiro rolled his eyes. he could see the weather from his window without the news caster telling him. Then it hit him: Nowaki was stranded somewhere.

"Oh great"

He said. If things couldn't get more miserable, he'd have to fend the cold without Nowaki for a while. Surely he would call before nightfall. Hiro leaned over and turned up the heater and turned down the television.

"A current traffic accident has deadly results!"

The news caster said. Hiro leaned against a stack of his books and let his eyes grow heavy and the world faded into darkness. Hiro fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Inside scoop! This is written by two different authors over aim. If the grammar is HORRIBLE as I know it is, please tell me so it can be fixed! I own no part of Junjo! Its brilliant work that I have no part of! The character Akira Ishinomori however is MINE! You'll get a little background on him sooner or later. That is all.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

* * *

><p>Someone knocked loudly on the door and Hiro snapped into consciousness with a yelp. The television was still on and outside the snow still fell against the nighttime back drop. The lights were on and nothing was disturbed except for Hiro; he stood and groaned in groggy stiffness. The knock came again.<p>

"hai!"

Hiro yelled. He glanced at the clock hanging from the kitchen wall: 8:12pm. From the state of the apartment and the undisturbed nap, Hiro knew that Nowaki was not home yet. He thought to check his cell phone, but the tapping on the door became more urgent.

"You have to give me a chance to get there first"

He stretched his back and silently cursed himself for falling asleep on the floor. The knock came again and Hiro stomped over to the front door, unlatched it and threw it open to show his irritation.

"You don't have to knock Nowaki, you lie here too!"

Hiro grunted. He didn't expect to see a young uniformed police officer standing in his doorway, ignoring Hiro's snide remark. Hiro's face went from anger to confusion.

"Can I help you?"

Hiro asked, unafraid to show his irritation of unwelcome intrusion. The police office shifted uneasily front one foot to the other, trying to keep his blood moving in the bitter cold. He removed his hat.

"Is this the residence of Kazuma Nowaki?"

The officer asked in a dry, uncaring tone. Hiro was surpised by the stranger's question and this angered his fragile temper further. He crossed his arms and scowled deeply at the intruding office.

"Kazuma-san is not home right now. He's at work. What do you want? I can inform him of your visit."

Hiro said, trying to sound as stiff as possible; maybe if he was rude the officer would go away. The officer nodded solemnly and reached into his pocker

"This is the correct residential address I assume. We found a 'Kamijo Hiroki' on his list of emergency contacts and I was deployed to find his place of residence. I assume that you are Hiroki Kamijo. Are you a relative of Kazuma-san?"

"No, I am not a relative. Why are you asking?"

Hiro's temper was reaching its fuses' end. Hated to be botherd and the police officer was acting suspicious.

"we're looking for a relative of Kazuma-san's because we need someone to come down to the morgue to identify his body. There has been a traffic accident on E. Street involving two vehicles sliding on the ice. There were four people involved in the accident. Three escaped with only minor injury, but due to the fact that the impact was on the passenger side of the vehicle where Kazuma was sitting, he died on the scene. I'm sorry to be telling you this in such a way, but we really need someone quickly. Are you his co-worker? Do you have a number where we can reach a family member?"

The officer continued speaking but Hiro stopped listening. His body suddenly felt numb, in capable any movement, voluntary or involuntary. Every thought and emotion in his mind flew from his being and left him with what felt like an empty shell that was merely existing in the door way.

"…because he didn't list any obvious family member in his emergency contacts at the hospital, we came here to his address. Sir?"

Hiro was holding his breath. His eyes were widened and his skin had lost all evidence of blood. There was no way he could speak or even choke for words. A shiver ricocheted up his spine and down his limbs.

The officer watched the reaction expertly. Among his co-workers he was the one whom was always sent to deliver the horrible news that a loved one had been killed. Usually it was a girlfriend, wife or mother whose life and being shattered in the door way after being dealt the fateful news. He had spoken to men before in this place; they too openly grieved. But their grief was usually more contained, not worn plainly on their faces like the women did. But somehow this man was different. This 'Kamijo Hiroki' wore a look on his face that always terrified the officer: The look of a soul being torn from the body.


	3. Chapter 3

Inside scoop! This is written by two different authors over aim. If the grammar is HORRIBLE as I know it is, please tell me so it can be fixed! I own no part of Junjo! Its brilliant work that I have no part of! The character Akira Ishinomori however is MINE!

I hate the format that this is in….but I hope it isn't too difficult to read! Enter Akihiko and Misaki…..they play a small roll but you will see them again!

* * *

><p>Hiro set his phone down on the table and let his hand tremble slightly. Nowaki's mother had made a ghostly sound when Hiro called and explained the terrible news. Her voice and inconsolable sobbing lingered in Hiro's mind.<p>

Officer Ishinomori stood near the door and nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to wait patiently as this 'Hiroki Kamijo' spoke to the victim's mother. The woman on the other phone line had let out a mournful wail loud enough for Ishinomori to hear it from across the room, making the young office wince. Sometimes he felt guilty being the bearer of death, but it was his job and he as the best guy to do it. Ishinomori was generally sensitive and had good 'people presence' and had a desire to assist victim's families in their time of need. But today wasn't one of the days that Ishinomori was feeling particularly charitable. It was still snowing, and the snow was still piling on the ground. The wind was still blowing and the temperature was expected to drop several degrees in the next hour. He was waiting around Hiroki's house because he needed the man to come to the police station and claim the body. It was not a good day for hanging about, waiting for people to get their act together. Most of Ishinomori's fellow police officers were at home by now; warm with their families. Ishinomori was working late today and he wasn't happy about it.

"You got ahold of family?"

Ishinomori asked trying to sound compassionate. The man, Hiroki didn't respond. He was sitting at a coffee table where he had set his cell phone down and simply staring at his trembling hand.

"Sir?"

There was something different in the way Hiroki acted. A roommate generally was upset when their friend was dead, but Hiroki was acting different. Ishinomori trailed his eyes over the apartment for a moment. He guessed he had time to spare for the grieving man to pull himself together.

It wasn't a very large apartment, Ishinomori observed, but it was a little more upscale than the basic bachelor pad. It also had the feel of a one person living space, or one shared by a newlywed couple. There was only one interior door in plain sight indicating that there was only one bed room. Ishinomori quickly made the connection from his observations. He wasn't dealing with an indifferent roommate. Hiroki Kamijo was the victim's boyfriend. Ishinomori blushed for a moment, then to save face he cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get going. The weather is only going to get worse. I would suggest dressing warmly."

Hiroki heard the officer as if he were miles away. He sat lifelessly on the floor and watched as his hand rippled with uncontrollable tremors. Somehow the focus he had on his hand prevented him from giving in to the sobs that were desperately trying to break free.

Ishinomori sighed deeply after waiting another five minutes. Tragedy or not, he was here to do a job. He reoriented his weight on his feed and walked calmly over to Kamijo-san and placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Do you need help?"

He asked softly, calmly as if he were speaking to a woman who had just lost her husband. Ishinomori didn't know, but maybe that was the way Hiroki and the victim lived: as a married couple.

Hiro jumped, startled by the man's touch. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him; the warm, heavy hand of the officer made Hiro for a moment forget the present events. But when he turned around sharply and saw the officer standing behind him, he knew that present was all too real. Hiro shoved the officer's hand away and stood. Awkwardly he teetered on his legs from a moment, and then walked purposefully towards the front door. The notions of warm dress or a winter coat didn't matter to him. He just wanted to leave and get away from the apartment.

Ishinomori reached down and grabbed the thick blanket from in front of the coffee table and hastily followed Kamijo towards the front door and out into the frosted winter landscape.

* * *

><p>Akihiko leaned lazily on the side door of his vehicle and yawned. Traffic was a nightmare this early in the morning and was accentuated by the fact that snow had fallen and iced the streets. All of this, and the fact that there was a car accident in the intersection, meant that Akihiko and Misaki were going to be stuck in the car; maybe for hours.<p>

"I suppose this means I can skip my deadline."

Akihiko gave his companion and lover, Misaki a sly grin. Even though he didn't mean what he said, he loved it when Misaki acted flustered. Akihiko skipping deadlines was a pet peeve of Misaki's, and he loved it when Misaki blushed from anger.

"I will run it to Marukawa if I have to. You are not skipping any deadlines. Do you want Aikawa-san to die an early death!"

Misaki shouted, turning his signature, adorable red. Akihiko snickered to himself. If only he could bottle Misaki's cuteness! He thought about the notion as he watched ambulance workers lift the body of an injured man onto a stretcher. Akihiko didn't particularly care about seeing blood or injury. It was almost poetic how the red stain saturated the white snow. Maybe the concept would make a good book; Akihiko made a mental note.

"He looks like that man who occationally accompanies Kamijo-sensei."

Misaki observed as he too watched the scene.

"You shouldn't look at such things Misaki, I don't want it to upset you."

Akihiko said in a dry, almost sarcastic tone. Misaki adverted his eyes, but continued to speak.

"I never saw my parents get killed, so it doesn't bother me when I see accident happen. The blood doesn't bother me either, even if it is bad luck to see it."

Masaki retorted. He crossed his arms and pouted.

"I suppose not. You are right, it does look like that man."

Akihiko absently let his mind wander to his childhood friend: Hiroki-san. The taller man with spiked black hair and a boyish face had been laughing the last time Akihiko had seen him. He didn't know the boy's name, nor did he know for sure what the boy meant to Hiroki-san. The only thing Akihiko knew for sure was that the nameless companion had made Hiroki laugh right along with him; the demon Kamijo had very little room in his personality for frivolous humor . Maybe it was Hiroki's companion on that stretcher, being zipped into a black sack in the bitter cold. Akihiko's eyes flittered to Misaki's face.

Akihiko threw his keys on the counter and sat on the sofa in his living room, exhausted from the morning ordeal. The weight he bore on the cushions caused his giant teddy bear, Suzuki to lean its head on Akihiko's shoulder. He and Misaki had left with the intention of traveling to Marukawa publishers for work, but never made it due to the weather and conditions of the street. They had waited four hours for the emergency personnel to clean up after the traffic accident on F. Street. By the time traffic was moving again, a drift of snow had built up and the roads leading to Marukawa's building were shut down and blocked. Akihiko, with a promise over the phone to fax his finished work to his editor, turned the car around and drove home. Akihiko was not in high spirits.

"Usagi-san"

Misaki addressed Akihiko using his nickname.

"I'll fax these documents, and then I will fix dinner."

Misaki didn't wait for an answer, and Akihiko didn't offer one. He gracefully pulled a cigarette out from his pocket and became comfortable on the sofa. With the cigarette lit, Akihiko closed his eyes and let his mind take over.

The image of the man on the stretched came to the forefront of Akihiko's mind. He had been young, younger than Akihiko was, but slightly older seeming than Misaki. There was no way of telling whether or not that the man on the stretcher had any relation to Hiroki-san; Akihiko didn't get a good enough look at the man for an affirmative answer and hadn't interacted long enough to really know what he looked like. But Akihiko couldn't shake his mind of the bloody corpse. He opened his eyes and reached in his pocket and pulled up Hiroki-san's number.

"I thought I would say hello. It's been weeks since we last spoke. I still have that book you let me borrow and I would like to show you my latest manuscript. We can have lunch if you aren't too busy…"

Akihiko paused for a minute over his sentence, trying to formulate the best words to approach the subject. Finally he settled on indirectly addressing the matter:

"Bring your friend. I would like to meet him. I will bring mine."

~Usagi(\(\

(='.') ( look I made a bunny tee-hee hee)

o(_")")

Usagi closed his phone and leaned once again against the sofa and crossed his arms. Soon, with a lit cigarette in his mouth, he drifted off into a light sleep.


	4. Chapter 4 Minimum reverie

Inside scoop! This is written by two different authors over aim. If the grammar is HORRIBLE as I know it is, please tell me so it can be fixed! I own no part of Junjo! Its brilliant work that I have no part of! The characters Akira Ishinomori and Tetsuo Kobayashi however are MINE!

Woah! I loooooong chapter….bear with us… give me feedback! We develop our original chacters a bit in this chapter…

(Featuring a "Minimum" Reverie)

* * *

><p>Hiro closed his eyes and refused to open them the entire trip to the police state where Nowaki's body was to be claimed. He also tried his hardest to empty his mind of all the demons that were haunting it. They had been driving slowly across the snow drifted streets, sometimes gliding over patches of black ice. The world seemed dead in its tracks; emptiness filled the air with dense eerie quietness. The landscape matched Hiro's heart. He was gray and empty. Void of everything. He tried to clear his mind because if he let it take over, surely he would take his own life.<p>

Officer Ishinomori drove slowly and deliberately. The ice made his breaks ineffective at times and he knew why so many traffic accidents happened during the snow months. It was a good thing no one else occupied the usually crowded streets, Ishinomori didn't know how to avoid an uncontrollable driver when the sides of the street were so packed with now.

In the passenger seat of his police vehicle, Kamijo sat silently with his head leaned haphazardly against the head support. The man's eyes were closed. Ishinomori had never had the opportunity to meet another homosexually oriented man in Japan before. He assumed that this was because men in Japan usually hid their preferences out of fear of ridicule and social disgrace. Ishinomori himself was previously in a long term relationship with another man and was open about it with his family.

Officer Ishinomori, whose first name was Akira met his lover, Tetsuo, in elementary school. Tetsuo was a slight sickly man with red cheeks and small features. He was five years Akira's junior but had the mind of a genius. Akira had met him one fall day all those years ago at the gate to their elementary school. Tetsuo was wheelchair bound at the time and sat, sad looking and lost at the threshold of the school.

* * *

><p><em> Minimum cut inmemory of Akira Ishinomori_!-

"Do you need help?"

Akira-kun was already stressfully late to school the October morning in which he first encountered Kobayashi Tetsuo and he barely had time to stop and help the disabled kid who stared pitifully up at the hill towards the looming school. Akira-kun was twelve and thin and slender for his age, but looking at the wheelchair bound child he suddenly felt healthy and muscular. It almost seemed cruel and inhuman to let the child sit there helplessly, so Akira-kun spoke up again.

"Do you need help?"

The boy in the wheelchair sighed heavily and glanced at Akira-kun with a quizzical expression that looked both serious and comical on the boy's emaciated and sunken face.

"It's my first day. I'm not use to pushing my wheelchair this far, but my parents have to drop me off at the foot of the hill. A teacher is supposed to meet me and push me up, but they never showed. I figured that if I didn't want to miss class I'd have to start on my own. I'm exhausted."

His voice was tiny, but louder than Akira expected.

"The teachers here are so selfish. They only want to do what is required of them and nothing else. It's because it's a low income public school and their pay is bad. Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude on you or anything, but I'll push you the rest of the way up."

Akira responded. The boy didn't resist Akira's offer and smiled shyly to express his approval.

"My name is Kobayashi Tetsuo; class 1-A"

Tetsuo said gently. Akira noted that it looked like Tetsuo didn't smile much, and that the smile he did offer was genuine. Akira blushed when Tetsuo gave him that first tooth dappled smile. The first smile of what would seem like an eternity.

It was the last week of middle school cases and Akira was a little on edge. He still hadn't received his acceptance letter to the high school of his choice, but he still held on to hope. If he didn't get excepted into the school he specified, he would miss the chance to spend High School with his best friend, Tetsuo. It was not that Akira had bad grades or a decent record at school; it's that he lacked the likeability that Tetsuo possessed; the genuine, honest personality that the smaller child emanated whenever he spoke. Tetsuo amazed everyone with his enduring smile and drive for life. Akira admired everything his best friend was and wanted to spend a life time with him if he had the chance.

"What's on your mind?"

Akira wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings and jumped when Tetsuo's signature soft voice came up next to him all of the sudden. The two of them were at the foot hill leading up to the school campus; Akira standing next to the gate and Tetsuo in his old wheel chair with his crutches resting across his lap. It had become a daily routine to meet at the foot of the hill and travel together up to the campus; Tetsuo riding in the wheelchair and Akira pushing. Akira was a tall, strong young man who was just beginning to grow into his masculine features and was lanky and awkward. Tetsuo however, due to a genetic condition was so small that people often mistook him for an elementary student. Akira noticed that it was getting increasingly uncomfortable to bend down and push Tetsuo's wheel chair that sat low to the ground. Nevertheless, Akira was a very dedicated person and would never abandon his best friend to save him self from back pain. He was always happy to spend time with Tetsuo.

"Getting accepted into High school is what's on my mind. I haven't received any notification yet and it's starting to bother me. I don't know whether or not I should just apply to the public school or wait it out. We only have six more days."

Akira said as he gripped the handles of Tetsuo's chair and began pushing.

"You're still worried about that? You have marvelous grades thanks to me! They can't pass up the oppertiunity to have you represent their school! You'll get in, I promise!"

Tetsuo smiled his ever toothy smile with words of encouragement. Akira however sighed.

"That's easy for you to say. You are the perfect student! Sure I have good grades, but my record isn't nearly as good as yours is."

Akira could feel the dense cloud of despair roll in to hoover over his head. Grades weren't everything. Since the high school they had applied to was a private one, they were extremely selective about which students they allowed to attend. The waitlist was phenomenal and filled with students who were academically excellent. The only students who were accepted right off the bat were the ones who shined during an examination interview.

"Besides, I bombed at the interview. They probably think I'm a total fool! Half the time I had no idea what the teachers were saying to me, and they asked so many questions!"

Akira complained. Tetsuo was a good listener and only gave positive feedback when it came to Akira's generally negative outlook on things.

"In my interview they really were only interested about what I was going to be when I graduated university."

Tetsuo said thoughtfully. Akira frowned and slowed down. He had been complaining and brooding so much that he hadn't thought about Tetsuo's experience.

"Yeah? And what did you say?"

Akira asked, purposely walking in a slow shuffle to increase their private walking time. Tetsuo let his eyes sink to the ground.

"I told them that I just wanted to be alive."

Tetsuo said with a face that was suddenly downcast. Akira stopped pushing. It was a truth that he didn't dare think about unless the topic was grudgingly brought up in conversation. The fact was, Tetsuo's genetic condition was going to kill him, likely before his twenty-fifth birthday or sooner. Tetsuo was extremely weak when Akira had come into his life at the bottom of the hill in elementary school. His body didn't have the muscle capacity to walk and barely sit up on its own. When Akira had met him, he had just been released from the hospital and was venturing to school for the first time after being homebound for his entire school career. The teacher who had assigned to meet Tetsuo at the foot of hill that day all those years ago claimed to have forgotten about the assignment and it left Tetsuo stranded and too weak to propel himself. His parents couldn't be there to assist their son because they each worked three jobs in order to pay for Tetsuo's medical needs. Akira had been a god send

Akira gripped the handles of the wheel chair until his knuckles turned white. Tetsuo was his own savoir as well. When they met, Akira had already been suspended from school five times for bullying and fighting in school. He had no friends and cared about no one. He just ventured to school because his father made him, and went home so that his father could beat him. Akira was always bruised, always in a bad mood and held a contempt towards the world that was unbridled for a child his age. When Tetsuo came into his life, it seemed everything changed. Akira felt a calm that he never thought was possible. While his home life didn't change much, he found that school had something that he could look forward to. Every day had a meaning, and that meaning was Tetsuo. The thought of not seeing his best friend always ignited anger in Akira's heart.

"You know I don't like you talking about that."

Akira said in a dirty tone.

"I know. I'm sorry. It just gets me thinking sometimes. What could I be when I grow up? I can barely walk most of the time, and I tire from just sitting up. If my muscles weaken in the future and I can't breathe on my own, what then? What would be the point of wasting money on going to University? I don't know Akira; maybe if I could just survive long enough to graduate high school, I may just stop there and wait for the inevitable."

Akira let his hands drop to his sides and left the wheel chair to teeter on the edge of the hill. His face was of utter disbelief at Tetsuo's harsh and cold words. It took several minutes of silence between the two boys before Akira could regain enough sense to counter the blow. He walked purposefully around Tetsuo's wheelchair and leaned down so that his face met the smaller boy's eye to eye.

"Stop that!"

Akira yelled, slamming his hands down into Tetsuo's lap and gripping his pant legs in bawled fists. Tetsuo remained calm while Akira yelled.

"You are not going to die so soon! You are strong and driven and smart! There isn't a school in this country that wouldn't accept you! You are going to go to college and get a job just like I am!"

Akira realized he was rambling nonsense out of anger. He knew in his heart that his words were only wishful thinking and that he was only spitting out the false hopes he had for Tetsuo's future. The two boys had been inseparable since elementary school and Akira knew Tetsuo like a brother. He know the struggles of Tetsuo's condition and the financial burden his illness placed on his ever caring family. They had been in each other's lives for five years, which was a life time in the minds of youth. Akira had no real familial bonds and no friends outside the relationship the two boys shared. To watch Tetsuo succumb to death, to lose the only thing that tied Akira to the planet was a thought that utterly terrified him. More than once it had occurred to Akira that he wanted to stay with Tetsuo in his life forever.

"Akira-san, I know how strongly you feel about this, but I like to be honest with myself. I have no doubt that I can get into schools; my grades are really the only thing I have. But I need to be realistic. I've accepted that I am going to die, and in order to come to terms with this, I need to focus on things that are in the present."

Tetsuo gently placed his hands on Akira's grip and gently rubbed them until Akira loosened his knuckles. His honest, sincere and terrifying words were so much for Akira to digest. He didn't know if was appropriate to be angry or let the feelings welled up inside him burst. Tetsuo's hands gently stroked Akira's knuckles until the bigger boy released his tension. Without thinking, Akira wove his fingers into Tetsuo's and he gentle gripped and encased the small hand in his own.

"You can't die Tetsuo. Not now, not ever. I need you. I need to be with you. I can't live without you. I'm just stupid, grouchy, naive Ishinomori who has no friends or brains!"

Akira said through a choppy voice. He was trying desperately to hold back the sobs that were about to spill over into his clenched throat. To his surprise however Tetsuo smiled and laughed gently at his friend's heart felt speech.

"Is that what you are?"

He asked, trying hard to keep his laugher soft and polite. Akira, feeling somewhat like a child, nodded furiously. Tetsuo snorted.

"If it wasn't for you, Akira, I would have never made it to school at all! Life has chain reactions. I was born with this disease. I was sick throughout my childhood so that when I became well enough to attend school, I missed all of the application deadlines and had to sign up for the local public school. My parents work, so they couldn't take me to the school building on my first day. A teacher forgot and it just so happened that the moment I was about to give up, when you come along and gave me the push I needed to succeed. Since you came into my life I have become healthier and you have become a batter person. We have become a critical part of each other's lives! All that you have done for me makes you my savior."

Tetsuo's words cut into Akira's heart. He threw his head down into his best friends lap and tried hard not to sob; his hands were still intertwined into Tetsuo as if to remind him where his tether was.

"Tetsuo! You saved me more than I saved you!"

Akira said through the tears that he was trying desperately to hide. Somewhere in the distance the morning bell rang signaling the start of classes. The path leading up to campus was empty of students and quiet except for a warm breeze that shook the leaves of the trees in the school's courtyard. Tetsuo smiled and leaned his face down into Akira's hair and inhaled deeply. The smell of Akira was both familiar and sweet and gave Tetsuo a rush of energy that he never felt before. The whole world at that moment seemed to focus on Akira crying in his lap. School didn't seem to matter anymore; there were only Akira's big hands and his and warm body shaking against his legs. They were each other's saviors and the thought crossed Tetsuo's mind that maybe he could be Akira's number one as well.

"Akira."

Tetsuo whispered gently into Akira's hair. Akira slowly lifted his head and found himself almost touching his nose to Tetsuo's. Tetsuo let Akira's hands go and lifted the bone thin limbs so that they rested gently against his best friend's face. Without resistance or protest, gently, Tetsuo guided Akira's face in towards his. Their lips met: gentle and soft. Their first kiss lifted either boy up into the clouds and beyond the heavens. They didn't need to express their love in words to know how they felt for each other. There was intensity to their kiss, just sweet, gentle love that carried them weightless through the skies.

Ishinomori had wanted to be a cop since they day he watched the police come to his home and haul his father off for beating his only son. The cops were a symbol of justice and power; a way to have ultimate control in life. With near perfect grades in high school, Ishinomori was accepted almost immediately and pushed through the cadet ranks until he landed a comfortable position at the station. There was no field work to be done in his position, but Ishinomori still loved his job.

Tetsuo graduated high school only second to Akira and walked unassisted across the stage to receive his much earned diploma. Amid protests and many shouting matches, Akira forced Tetsuo to apply to ever college in the city and one by one was accepted to each and every one of them. He settled however for Mitsuhashi University that sat close to the police station where Akira worked. The two young men moved in with each other in a small apartment that was within walking distance of both the school and the station. For four years Life was perfect. They went to work during the day and came home to each other's affection. They made love in the bed they shared and cooked dinner together every night. Akira couldn't imagine himself happier and felt that if this situation never changed, he would be the happiest man in the world.

Tetsuo died on a Thursday morning wrapped gently in Akira's arms. College graduation had been three days earlier, but Tetsuo was hospitalized and missed the diploma ceremony. The college dean came to Tetsuo's hospital room and personally presented him the honor of Summa Cum Laude. Tetsuo was too weak and heavily drugged to even smile at the honor. Akira took the scroll that held the diploma and stowed away in his sports bag.

The disease took its final toll when the weather changed and Tetsuo caught a cold that developed quickly into pneumonia. He collapsed out of his wheelchair where Akira found him hours later barely responsive. The hospital got Tetsuo to breathe on a ventilator and for ten agonizing days the weak man lay sedated with Akira only leaving his side for the necessitates. On day eleven the situation began to look up with Tetsuo taking breaths on his own and was slowly being weaned from the anesthesia. Hi eyes fluttered open to fin Akira beaming a brave smile down on him. They spoke as best as they could, recalling days past and even touched base on what the future held. Tetsuo grew weak and fell asleep with his head resting against Akira's face and his small, emaciated body resting like cool feather against Akira's warm body. Tetsuo had remnants of that gentle, peaceful smile he had the day the two lovers met at the bottom of the hill…


End file.
